Trolley-wire switch.



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lilo. 928,1lh'l'.

Application filed April 18,

lpeeification of Eliot-tors Potent.

Patented {truly is, woe.

19G". Fletcial "N; $88,825.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, lTlLOWARD 0. Smsstnn, o citizen of the United Eltetcs, residing; at Moines, in the county of Folk and State Iowa, have invented 11 certain new and useful Trolley-l the Switch, of which the fol lowing is e. specification.

The object of my invention is to provide it trolley wire switch in which the movable switch Wire oiitomoticslly sctueted in unison with the movements oi the switch point in the trocl-t below the trolley Wire.

A further object to provide. it trolley Wire switch so errsnged that when edj'usted to either position, will lOIIll a continuous ooiform, curve Without singles, so that the trolley wl'icei its tollow it Without execs ire weer, such es would he occasioned 1 there were shot-p singles termed in it.

it. further Olljilfii} is to provide :1 switch of this hind'in "Whol th rrent may be passed continue the i olley' Wire, regard less of the ,l tiou ol the trolley, wire switch point, end else to prom do it trolley Wire "M1 1.. 1.1. l 3 switch plilte so s lull e test it will stand in 'Wlii T the to i r ..e, {and It in the some directs i the Wire, so that the trolley Wheel will not striho upon eitller end of the switch plate when soproecliiegit, es WOLIld be the cese if time trolley Wire switch plate were rigidly supported.

My invention consists in the :u'rengemeot, constructio'i'l end coinhimttien oi the various ports ol the elm ice, wherohjy' the objects contempleted ere otteined, tS hereinafter more fully l'erth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated in the accompanying dis/Wings, in which Figure .1. shows on inverted plan View of o trolley Wire switch embodying my invention ll'le dotted lines show the movable trolley r switch point in its adjusted posh tion. 2 shows on edge VlOW 01" o port of the trolley Wire switch plots, and the movehle switch point. Fig. shows an 'cnd View of the trolle wire switch supported on to pole, and eonzumted with e railway rail switch to he operi-tted in miiison with the movable switch point. Fig. t shows s transverse Slltlillfillttl yiew on the line ll of Fig. 1, and his; ti/shows transverse sec- 'l'lionel View on the line 5- -5 of l 1.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, 1 have used the reference numeral 10 to indicote e trolley Wire pole, having the supporting arm ll thereon. Projecting dow11- 'Wordly from the supporting arm are the loops 12, through which a pivot pin 13 is extended. The trolley Wire switch plate indicated by the numeral 14:, and is made of lets-l that forms it good electrical conductor. U11 top of the plote 14 near its central por tion, are the loops 15, designed to receive the pivot pin 12-5, thus pivotolly supporting the plate it in such manner that its ends may tilt up end down. Secured. to one end ot the plate 1%. e hrockct, having a grooved clamping jaw 17 it its lower end. Connect 'cd with. the hiocliet is a, clamping jaw more her 18, detochohly held to the bracket by the bolt 19. Betweenthe ports 17 end it"? it list spring 20, held therein by the bolts it) and forming o flexible trolley Wire sup port that will term a regular curve when in any position of its adjustment, and Will hold the trolley Wire against sagging downwsrd.

The trolley wire is indicated by the numoral 21 end is formed with grooves in its sides to receive the jaws l7 and 18, so that the bolts 1 9 may iii-oily hold both the spring 12,0 end the trolley wire L 51. '"lhts trolley Wire ll extends to at point near the op'pi site end oi. the trolley wire switch pleto Ll, end it 1" connected with the shrine 20 at intervals tluougrliout .5 o moth y means of it psir of eloinpine; flows .13, held. together by. the hol .123, NS shown in ,l ig. 4. The meteriolot which the trolley Wire 21 is mode is comoaretively soft, and it uusu 'iportcd, would he likely to bend on sharp angles. llowexor, by pi-twirling: the ilot sprie 20 for supporting it, it will slweys heildon a uniform curve, as shown by dotted lines in l ig. 1, when its free end is turned as shown in. said figure. Soe'ured to the under side of the plate ll are the lugs :33 to limit the outward movement of the movable switch wire. At the opposite end of the piste 1o, two trolley Wires end 25 are connected by moons of brackets 26 end 27, similar to the hrlitcliets shown in Fig. 5. Sold brackets 26 and .27 are so disposed open the plate 14:, thztt when the movable trolley Wire switch is inv one position, it will he in line witli the trolley e/ire 2-7, and when in another position of its movement, it will bein line with the wire 24.

I have provided for operating the trolley wire switch point in unison with a railway switch oint beneath it as follows: The

numera 28 indicates a railway switch oi These levers 30 and 32 are connected by means of a rod 33, which is attached to the lever 32 and extended downwardly, and slidingly connected with a rod 34, that is connected with the lever 30 and extends up wardly. On the rod 33 are two adjusting nuts 35 and 36, and extensible coil springs 37 and 38 are placed on the rod 33 to' engage said nuts, and also to engage the part of the rod 30 through which the rod 33 is passed. These springs normally hold the rod 34 in its position with relation to the rod 33, but the rod 34 may be moved in either direction against pressure, after the rod 33 has been moved to either limit of its movement. The bell crank lever 32 is connected by means of a wooden bar 39, with a sliding arm 40, mounted in a bracket 41, on the under spring of the plate 14, and connected with the trolley wire switch 21. By this means, it is obvious that a movement of the lever 29 will operate the railway switch point, and atthe same time it will move the trolley wire switch. point in a corresponding direction. The use of the spring device in the rods that connect the bell cranklevers, is desirable for the reason that the trolley wire switch point will always be firmly held by spring pressure, in its position in engagement with one or the other of the lugs 23, because after the trolley wire switch point is moved to its position, then an additional movement is given to the rod 34, which will cause one of the s rings to be compressed, and thus hold the tro ley wire switch point firmly to position in engagement with. one of the lugs. Bythis means, the trolley wire switch oint will always be held accurately in line with one or the other of the wires 2-1 and 25.

In practical use, it is obvious that no matter in what position the movable trolley wire switch point may be, the current will travel along the conductor wire and through the plate is without forming an are at the point where the wires are connected under the switch plate, and furthermore, there will be no arc iormed-when the trolley wheel is passing under the switch wire, because it will be in contact with-a art of the trolley wire that is charged with t e current by spring pressure, in either one or the other of its posiflexible trolley wire support fixed atone end to the (plate and extended longitndinally of the sai trolley wire and fixed to it, and designed to prevent the wire from sagging, two

trolley wires spaced apart and fixed to the opposite end of said plate, and means for moving the free end of the first mentioned trolley wire and the flexible trolley wire su P port to position in line with either of t e wires at the other end of the plate.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination of a metallic switch plate, two trolley wires spaced apart and fixed to one end of the switch plate, and in electrical contact therewith, a trolley wire fixed to the other end of the switch plate and electrically connected therewith and extended under the switch plate to a point adjacent to the first mentioned trolley wire, and a flexible trolley wire support fixed to the free portion of the trolley wire beneath the switch plate and also fixed to the switch late at the end opposite from the two trol ey wires, and being capable of free lateral movement and of supporting the wire against downward movement.

3. In a device of the class described, the combination of a metallic switch plate, a metallic bracket fixed to one end thereof, and formed with a clamping jaw, a clamping plate bolted to the said bracket, a trolley wire between said clamping plate and clamp ing jaw, a spring above the trolley wire and between said late and bracket, bolts for adjustably and detachably connecting the spring and the trolley wire with the bracket,

a-number of clamping devices for connecting the spring and trolley wire, two trolley wires fixed to the opposite end of the late, and electrically connected therewith, ugs fixed to the under portion of the switch plate, to limit the outward movement of the movable wire to positions in line with the two trolley wires, and means for moving the movable wire and its spring.

4. In a device of the class described, the

combination of a trolley wire switch having a movable switch point, a rod connected with the movable switch point, a bell crank lever connected with said rod, a downwardly extended rod connected with the bell crank lever, a second bell crank lever connected with the lower end of said downwardly extended rod, a railway rail switch, a rod connected i with the letter bell erzink lever and with the and whereby the switch point is yieldingly railway rail switch, one of said rods being held et'either one of its limits of movements. 19

formed of two parts slidingly connected with r Des Moines, Iowa, 5/4 /O7. each other, and two s rin s mounted on one o V i of said parts With their adjacent ends in en- Sn E I gagement with the other one of said parts Witnesses:

whereby a sliding longitudinal movement of J. RALPH ORWIG, said parts relatlve to each other is permitted, S. 'l. CnmsTY. 

